


Tinkerers

by frozenCinders



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: M/M, Wammy's Era, lots of mentions of mello
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-09 05:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19882405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frozenCinders/pseuds/frozenCinders
Summary: More than playing with them, Near quite likes to make his own toys. On the other hand, Matt's talent lies in making little gadgets. They work quite well together.Companion piece toStolen Away.





	Tinkerers

**Author's Note:**

> i wanted to go a little further with some of my headcanons for matt so here's another rarepair disguised as a character study

Few kids at Wammy's House take Matt seriously. He seems to have intended this, but Near doubts he actually wants to be pushed around. People's opinions of him flip rapidly between "he's a brat who ignores everyone all the time" and "he's a sweetheart who does anything anyone asks". At least he's not stuck solely with the former, like Near.

He wonders if it could be considered bullying for these kids to use Matt as entertainment when he seems fine with letting it happen. He keeps his arms crossed all the time to prevent accidentally touching anything unpleasant, and "unpleasant" describes most things, apparently. The kids run up to Matt with anything and everything and tell him to touch whatever they present to him, waiting for him to chance upon something he hates.

It's not like he freaks out and makes a scene; it's more like his brain stops working, which amuses them more, so they make him talk while they test his hands until he forgets how. He laughs along with them, and it doesn't sound awkward or forced. It's not like he doesn't know what they're doing. Near never makes anyone else's business his own, but he seethes on Matt's behalf. Mello must hate it too, as he frequently ends up chasing off the kids who bother Matt and dragging him away somewhere.

They can ask for certain things within an allowance they're allotted. Near specifically asks for comfortable gloves this month. Matt is present when they're handed to Near, and he immediately holds them out to him. Near has never seen him smile like that-- genuine and a little shy.

Come to think of it, Near supposes he was the one who started this friendship of theirs with that gift. He doesn't think he's had a friend before. People have tried to linger close to him and make him open up, but they gave up as soon as they saw they weren't making progress. Near likes some people, he just doesn't interact or express like most people do, so they're none the wiser. Mello, in particular.

Matt is the only one Near has ever gone so far for-- that is, not far at all when he thinks about it-- so Matt is also the only one who catches on. He wears the gloves 24/7, only taking them off on rare occasions or to bathe. Near starts glaring openly at the kids who try to make Matt take his gloves off. With Near's death glares and Mello's more confrontational approach combined, eventually everyone wills themselves to forget that little trait of Matt's. Matt always brings Mello chocolate, but he catches onto Near's favorite candy as well and starts regularly bringing him some.

More than playing with them, Near quite likes to make his own toys. Most of his allowance goes towards materials and tools for him to tinker with, with only a select few premade toys on his list. As he gets older, he asks for less and less toys and more materials. He pays very close attention to detail and puts a lot of time and care into the toys he makes, so they're much more satisfying than any old toy one can grab off a shelf that there exists thousands of.

Whenever he would let Matt visit his room, they would mostly just quietly mind their own business near each other. Near usually has plenty of toys he isn't yet bored with to play with, but he runs out eventually. When this happens, he ends up making a toy in front of Matt, whose handheld console ends up forgotten in his hands, looping the same quiet music for the hour and a half it takes before Near decides to take a break from his craft.

"I like making stuff too," Matt says, having been silent the entire time Near was working. "Not toys, though. They're more like gadgets. I fixed Roger's alarm clock once."

For the first time, as possibilities spilled into his mind, Near considered collaborating with someone. As far as group projects went, people either picked Near because he's known as the smartest and then let him do all the work, or they stayed away from him completely because of his "attitude". Mello would always grab Matt before he had a chance to think about working with anyone else, so he hadn't even crossed Near's mind as an option. Working on trinkets together, though, sounds like something Near very much wants to do.

Matt brings his own tools next time. Near normally only makes analog toys, having no knowledge of how to include anything electronic in them. Matt's expertise lies in electronics, and their first project together is an action figure that lights up with posed a certain way. It's simple, and Near can see himself getting bored of it easily, but he treasures it.

When it comes to classes, Matt sometimes skips them when he knows his grades can take the hit without dropping him in the rankings. Near has actually watched him hand a blank assignment in and say that he was "taking a zero on it". He thinks it's probably so Mello doesn't see him as competition. Or he just hates doing work.

Mello, like Near, has perfect attendance for as long as he can help it. He misses one day along with several other children during one cold season. They have assigned seats, but the room is pretty empty that day, so Matt sits next to Near. Near usually has no problem staying focused, even when multitasking, but he finds himself working much more slowly with Matt there. He's not even doing anything to distract Near; he's just sitting next to him and giving him a little smile every time he catches Near staring at him. Are most friends like this?

One day, Near hears a child upset that a piece of their toy broke off. Matt offers to fix it for them, and Near wonders whether he actually plans to tinker with an analog toy on his own for once or if he's going to ask Near for help. Turns out he ends up volunteering for such things and running straight to Near quite often after he agrees to help the first time. Near appreciates the excuse to work together.

"What do you do when you skip class?" Near asks him once, while they're trying to add a speaker to a figurine. He can't tell if Matt looks at him at all, he wears tinted goggles now. Maybe now he won't squint so much at his screens.

"Play games. Sleep. Whatever I feel like doing that isn't boring, pretty much," is his answer.

Boredom really seems to be Matt's worst enemy. His main problem is that almost everything outside of his room is boring to him. Except for Near's room, apparently.

"Do you spend time with Mello like this?" he asks, slightly paranoid that he sounds possessive. Contrary to popular belief, Near can share. Not that Mello would ever want to share with him.

"Not like this. He doesn't make stuff."

His tendency to speak in short, quick sentences like that seems to be absent outside of this room. What is it about Near that changes Matt? Maybe he just adjusts to his surroundings in strange ways.

For some reason, Near recalls one of the slightly older kids complaining that he can't talk to girls he likes. No, that doesn't add up. It's not like Matt isn't communicating well. It's not like he's nervous around Near. His mind is just stretching, scrambling to explain everything Near sees. He's analyzed Matt more than he has most anyone else, he realizes. Ah.

"He only hates you because he's super competitive," Matt says as if Near needs the reassurance. He leaves it at that, though, and Near appreciates him not pushing it.

"I know. It's possible he would actually be _less_ bitter if I were to respond with that same passion, but..."

Matt laughs lightly and Near immediately loses his train of thought.

"Yeah, I can't imagine you acting like Mello."

Is that what he was talking about? Matt finishes up with the wires and hands the figure back to Near so he can close it up nicely. Near takes a chance and purposely brushes their fingers together, just to see. Matt is unaffected-- of course he is, he's still wearing the gloves Near gave him.

Near forces himself to focus solely on the figure in his hand. He's starting to figure out what he's feeling, but frankly he would prefer to stop thinking about it. Mello would make things extremely complicated, and Near isn't about to make him think he's trying to steal his best friend.

It's not like Near is trying to keep his distance, and in fact selfishly inches closer to Matt whenever possible no matter who happens to be watching, but they eventually start growing apart as Mello pulls Matt away more and more. Matt doesn't completely abandon him, just has less time for him. That is, until L dies and Mello runs away. Matt ends up following him soon after and Near feels truly alone.

He can't follow Matt because he's too close to Mello, who has made it clear time and again that he simply will not put up with Near. But, if he's lucky, maybe he will happen upon him when he's ready to share what's been going on in his head ever since he started spending time with Matt.

Until then, Near entertains himself with just the memory of Matt's smile.


End file.
